Top 5 Secular Homeschool Curriculums

There are many reasons people homeschool. They may want to keep their children home due to health, safety, or personal concerns. Some homeschool because they know it is the best option for their child, some homeschool due to their job requiring travel. Whatever the reason one may homeschool they are often bombarded with so many curriculum choices, they may not know which ones to look at. Often times these curriculums are religious based, which don’t always fit the needs of all homeschoolers. I have homeschooled for a while now, and have tried multiple curriculums. We at the Expo have shared popular faith-based curriculumsbefore, but want to focus on some of the most popular secular homeschool curriculums.

Teaching textbooks is a computer based math program. The program is written to the student, so parent participation is minimal. It explains the math problems completely and clearly and is one of Cathy Duffy’s top picks! Note: I ended up switching to Teaching Textbooks in 2016, and agree completely with Cathy’s review!

Time for learning is a computer program that includes all subjects, but also has a monthly fee. Many secular homeschoolers use this program, and like it. I also know homeschoolers who use it as supplement to their regular curriculum. It is interactive and fun and does all the grading and tracking for you.

K12 can be used two ways. If your state offers it, it can be used free as an online public school option. If it doesn’t, or if one wants to, individual courses can be purchased. K12 includes certified teachers, grading, and multiple programs for your student. K12 gets a lot of mixed reviews, and Cathy Duffy rated it low. The reason being if one uses it as the public school option they are not traditionally homeschooling. Those who have used it for individual courses seem to be well pleased.

This is a secular literature based unit study. The program is geared towards ages, not grades and includes all subjects. Right now the program is for grades K-8. It is a very hands on program and requires some teacher preparation. I don’t know anyone personally who uses this, but it seemed to get good reviews.

Saxon Math is one that most of us probably used in school. The intermediate grade level is one of Cathy Duffy’s top picks. Saxon is a thorough program with years of happy customers on its side.

These are just a few of the many secular curriculum options out there. For more reviews on curriculum check out Homeschool Reviews, or this site that lists secular based curriculums by subject.

Misty Bailey is a wife to Roger and a homeschool mom to three beautiful blessings. She resides with her family in Southern Ohio. She loves helping new homeschoolers and has a Homeschool 101 eBook for those getting started. She shares her struggles with time management, becoming unglued and finding joy in the everyday moments on her blog Joy in the Journey